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Darnassus
Ancient |loc=Atop Teldrassil |government= |rulers=High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind Archdruid Fandral Staghelm |affiliation=Alliance |rewards= Nightsaber mounts (rare and epic) }} Darnassus is the capital city of the Night Elves of the Alliance. The high priestess, Tyrande Whisperwind, resides in the Temple of the Moon, surrounded by other sisters of Elune. In the Cenarion Enclave, the Arch Druid Fandral Staghelm leads the Cenarion Circle, often in direct opposition to his fellow druids in Moonglade and Tyrande herself. Background Darnassus is the greatest city of the night elves, housing the leaders of both the druids and the faithful of Elune. It is carefully guarded by Sentinels, ancient protectors, and ancients of war. The city is formidable in spite of the peaceful natures of the night elves. In addition to the night elves, many guests and diplomats from elsewhere reside here, such as groups from the Explorer’s Guild and the Knights of the Silver Hand, as well as a few representatives of the Horde negotiating peace treaties. The population here is almost entirely elven, and most of the night elves are tolerant of others. However there is political strife between the druids and priests. The atmosphere in the city is a quiet and somewhat melancholy one. It does not have the feeling of confinement that one feels in Stormwind or Ironforge, where the buildings are grouped close together. Darnassus is open to the sky, and the graceful bridges spanning the lake around which it is built set the buildings wide apart. The prime reason why the city's population is so low is that it is isolated: Teldrassil is a small island away from the main mass of Azeroth, and the only way to gain access from another continent is to fly or sail to Rut'theran Village, a small settlement at the base of Teldrassil, and from there step into the glowing portal to the city proper. This is a good thing, though. It is the Elves capital, and should therefore be serene and quiet, holding the mystic and melancholic elements of the Night Elves. Defenses Anyone, from a brand-new level one, to an aged level seventy, should NOT feel safe in Darnassus. There are few guards, and many can be bypassed through swimming. The ancients are on the wrong side of the city; the Horde generally never go to that side. Since they're not that high level, they can easily be defeated. It is the most deserted city in the game; aside from the occasional high level, it's mostly populated by new characters or Mages (trying to get money through ports). But the worst part of Darnassus's defense is city has two entrances, one of which is easy for the Horde to hijack undetected, and the other is only used once or twice to the Alliance (starter Night Elf characters entering the city will normally not go back later in life). The only connection from Darnassus to the world outside Teldrassil is through the portal from Rut'theran, and thus any Horde attacks will have to come from that direction, though there's never any opposition anyway. If they overwhelm the defenses at Rut'theran Village, they will face the bottleneck of the portal. Not only are four guards surrounding it at all times, but the portal is located just next to the Darnassus Bank, one of the main hubs for Alliance activity in the city. The only thing is, is even if Darnassus is under attack, no one comes to its aid. The city is so far away and hard to reach the only normal way to reach the city is through the Shattrath (and later the Dalaran) city portals. History In the aftermath of the Third War, the night elves had to adjust to their mortal existence. Such an adjustment was far from easy, and there were many night elves who could not adjust to the prospects of aging, disease and frailty. Seeking to regain their immortality, a number of wayward druids conspired to plant a special tree that would reestablish a link between their spirits and the eternal world. With Malfurion missing, Fandral Staghelm - the leader of those who wished to plant the new World Tree - became the new Arch-Druid. In no time at all, he and his fellow druids had forged ahead and planted the great tree, Teldrassil, off the stormy coasts of northern Kalimdor. Under their care, the tree sprouted up above the clouds. Among the twilight boughs of the colossal tree, the wondrous city of Darnassus took root. However, the tree was not consecrated with nature's blessing and soon fell prey to the corruption of the Burning Legion. Now the wildlife and even the limbs of Teldrassil are tainted by a growing darkness. Terraces Darnassus is arranged in terraces on the north, east and southern sides of a central lake area. * Warrior's Terrace (area beyond and including the city gate) * The Temple Gardens (west over causeway from Warrior's Terrace) * Craftsmen's Terrace (north of Warrior's Terrace) * Tradesmen's Terrace (south of Warrior's Terrace) * The Temple of the Moon (south over causeway from Temple Gardens) * Cenarion Enclave (west of Craftsmen's Terrace) Notable Characters From her seat in the Temple of the Moon, the high priestess Tyrande Whisperwind rules with the support of her fellow priestesses of the Moon. In the Cenarion Enclave, Arch Druid Fandral Staghelm presides over his druidic compatriots, in personal opposition to the high priestess' rule. The Darnassus Sentinels are led by Elanaria, who has close ties with the trainers on Warrior's Terrace. Points of Interest * The Bough of the Eternals, is the location the Bank of Darnassus. It is located on the central island of the Temple Gardens. * Portal tent to Rut'theran Village to west of the Bank. * The Temple of the Moon is the home of the Sisters of Elune, the high-priestess order of the Night Elves. This is where the leader of the Night Elves, Tyrande Whisperwind can be found. * The Cenarion Enclave, where the Arch Druid Fandral Staghelm resides. * The Auction House is located in the Tradesman Terrace. * There are two mailboxes: one is situated just outside the bank, with the other right by the Inn, and speaking of which... * The Inn is located in the Craftsmen's Terrace. It is the second most eastern big building in the terrace. Travel Connections Teleport ; Rut'theran Village The Darnassus Faction The Darnassus Faction has an "Exalted" rank. This means that if you prove yourself as a valued friend and protector of Darnassus, regardless of your race, you will be rewarded with a great boon by Tyrande Whisperwind herself! Known Faction related bonuses: * At Honored you receive a 10% decrease on vendor purchases. * At Exalted you can purchase a tiger mount (not limited to Elves!). See the main article, Reputation, for more information. There are a few Repeatable Reputation Quests (RRQs) which raise Darnassus faction and increase reputation: * * * * * (Part of Ahn'Qiraj opening event and now obsolete) * (Part of Ahn'Qiraj opening event and now obsolete) Trivia * Darnassus has no direct transportation routes, unlike other cities. The Hippogryph roost and Boat pier are in Rut'theran Village. * The portal from Rut'theran Village is also usable by Horde characters, allowing Horde raids on the city. * has the Darnassus faction repeatable Runecloth quest used by non-night elven Alliance players as one of the methods to reach to obtain the right to ride sabers. * was a mountain in central Greece where (according to Greek mythology) the Muses lived; known as the mythological home of music and poetry (Liakoura is the modern name of Mount Parnassus). * The main gate of Darnassus is based on the architectural design of , an ancient gate located in Seoul, South Korea. * Though there are now two mailboxes from Patch 2.4.0, before Patch 1.3 there was only one mailbox, at the inn. Players that were pleased with the 1.3 note of "Added a mailbox to the Darnassus Bank" were quite put off that a second mailbox was ''not in fact added, but that the inn's mailbox was moved to a new spot by the bank, where most new players have always known it to be. Category:Darnassus Category:Cities Category:Alliance cities Category:Night elf territories Category:Factions Category:Alliance factions